Is desktop.ini cause of search redirect?

elfinsel, That file has been identified as malware in other cases: Trojan-Spy.Win32.Agent.blbk C:\WINDOWS\assembly\GAC_MSIL\Desktop.ini Please do the following: Run the Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool: http://www.kaspersky.com/antivirus-... Double-click the file to run the program. If running Vista/Windows 7, right-click and select: Run as administrator. When it starts, to the right of 'Security Level' click 'Recommended', and select: Settings -In the window that opens (Autoscan), in the ‘Scope’ tab, place a checkmark to the left of: 'Parse email formats'. -Click the ‘Additional tab’ and click to place a checkmark by ’RootKit Scan’, and ‘Deep Scan‘, then click OK. Select all the drives to scan, except for CD-ROM drives, and click the ‘Start Scan’ button If malware is detected, place a checkmark in the ‘Apply to all’ box, and click the ‘Delete’ button (or 'Disinfect' if the button is active). After the scan finishes, if any threat remains in the Scan window (Red exclamation point), click the ‘Neutralize all’ button. In the window that opens, place a checkmark in the ‘Apply to all’ box, and click the ‘Delete’ button (or Disinfect if the button is active). If advised that a special disinfection procedure is required which demands system reboot: click the OK button to close the window. In the Scan window click the ‘Reports’ button and select ‘Save to file‘. Name the report 'kvrt.txt', and save it to the Desktop. Close the program. >>Please copy/paste the report (of Detected malware), and provide in your reply.<< ~~~~ Retired - Doin' Dis, Dat, and slapping malware.

aaflac44 - Thanks so much for a quick reply. Since you replied, I've tried using Kapersky about 10 times and every time the program closes (with no notifications) at some point during the process. Once, it never loaded. Multiple times it just disappeared while scanning. Once, it managed to find the virus and seemed to be deleting it, but the program closed again. It's never made it to any sort of completion. I'll continue to try, since it closes at different points, but do you know of any reason why Kapersky might keep closing on me?

elfinsel, There is a conflict somewhere, or malware is precluding the run, but that is not unusual. Give this a try instead: McAfee Stinger: http://www.mcafee.com/us/downloads/... Save to the Desktop If running Vista/Windows 7, right-click and select: Run as administrator. (if the option is available - if not, double click to run the program) At the main screen, press: ‘Scan Now’ When done, save the scan results to a log file: Click: File Select: Save report to file Save to the Desktop Please post the McAfee Stinger report in your reply. ~~~~ Retired - Doin' Dis, Dat, and slapping malware.

It closed out too, and, when I just tried again, it said "Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file. You may not have the appropriate permissions to access the item."

Press Ctrl Alt Delete or Ctrl Shift Escape to bring up Windows Task Manager In Task Manager go to File and select: New task (Run…) In the Create New Tasks prompt, in the Open box type (or copy/paste): cacls "C:\Windows\explorer.exe" /G Everyone:F Press: Enter/OK Restart the computer and see if you can run the program. ~~~~ Retired - Doin' Dis, Dat, and slapping malware.

This still isn't working. I recently installed Windows 7 and hardly had any new files or programs, all of which I could back up on an external hard drive or reinstall later. I would be totally fine with just reloading Windows 7, but my hard drive right now is almost entirely full, so I can't.